Word GenerationWord GenerationA Process for Learning

Academic Language

To learn the importance of explicitly teaching academic vocabulary in each content-area.

To give an overview of Word Generation.

Think about your content area. What are the biggest challenges to comprehension of the text?

Pick top two:

FluencyMotivation

Background knowledge Vocabulary

Syntax Text Structure

Only 30% of secondary students read proficiently (nationally)

89% of Hispanic and 86% of African-American middle and high school students read below grade level (NCES, 2005)

96% of 8th grade LEP students scored below the basic level (4% scored proficient or advanced on 2005 NAEP)

The marlup was poving his kump. Parmily a narg horped some whev in his kump. “Why did vump horp whev in mh frinkle kump?” The marlup jufd the nard. “Er’m muvvily trungy,” the narg grupped.

“Er heshed vump norpled whev in your tranquil kump.” Do vump pove your kump frinkle?

The marlup was poving his kump. Parmily a narg horped some whev in his kump. “Why did vump horp whev in mh frinkle kump?” The marlup jufd the nard. “Er’m muvvily trungy,” the narg grupped.

“Er heshed vump norpled whev in your tranquil kump.” Do vump pove your kump frinkle?

The marlup was poving his kump. Parmily a narg horped some whev in his kump. “Why did vump horp whev in mh frinkle kump?” The marlup jufd the nard. “Er’m muvvily trungy,” the narg grupped.

“Er heshed vump norpled whev in your tranquil kump.” Do vump pove your kump frinkle?

The marlup was poving his kump. Parmily a narg horped some whev in his kump. “Why did vump horp whev in mh frinkle kump?” The marlup jufd the nard. “Er’m muvvily trungy,” the narg grupped.

“Er heshed vump norpled whev in your tranquil kump.” Do vump pove your kump frinkle?

The marlup was poving his kump. Parmily a narg horped some whev in his kump. “Why did vump horp whev in mh frinkle kump?” The marlup jufd the nard. “Er’m muvvily trungy,” the narg grupped.

“Er heshed vump norpled whev in your tranquil kump.” Do vump pove your kump frinkle?

The marlup was poving his kump. Parmily a narg horped some whev in his kump. “Why did vump horp whev in mh frinkle kump?” The marlup jufd the nard. “Er’m muvvily trungy,” the narg grupped.

“Er heshed vump norpled whev in your tranquil kump.” Do vump pove your kump frinkle?

The marlup was poving his kump. Parmily a narg horped some whev in his kump. “Why did vump horp whev in mh frinkle kump?” The marlup jufd the nard. “Er’m muvvily trungy,” the narg grupped.

“Er heshed vump norpled whev in your tranquil kump.” Do vump pove your kump frinkle? Why were you able to answer most

comprehension questions?

The marlup was poving his kump. Parmily a narg horped some whev in his kump. “Why did vump horp whev in mh frinkle kump?” The marlup jufd the nard. “Er’m muvvily trungy,” the narg grupped.

“Er heshed vump norpled whev in your tranquil kump.” Do vump pove your kump frinkle? Why is the last comprehension

question difficult to answer?

1. Vocabulary is acquired incidentally by just encountering words in conversation and while reading.

2. Word meanings can usually be inferred from the text.

3. Students can learn word meaning from dictionary definitions.

4. We can understand texts in which we know 75% of the words.

5. We can learn a word from a few exposures.6. Students know when they don’t know words. 7. If you can spell/pronounce a word you know it.

As an individual read the myths assigned to your group.

Each person will share a sentence that he/she feels is particularly important from the assigned myths.

As a group select a sentence to share to the larger group.

Pick words to be used in the unit of study Present them in motivating ways (not

lists) Provide learner-friendly definitions Ensure recurrent exposures Provide opportunities to use the words Teach word-learning strategies Motivate ‘word awareness’

General Academic language for knowing, thinking, reading and writing

Electives

Science Language

Math Language

Literature LanguageHistory/Social Studies

Language

Foundation of home and community language and cultural factors

Electives

Science Language

Math Language

Literature LanguageHistory/Social Studies

Language

Content-specific terms/vocabulary Technical words High-yield words that play a key role in

the lesson Tools for understanding the lesson Words in big, bold-faced print

General Academic language for knowing, thinking, reading and writing

General academic words that are common terms in everyday communication

Words used across a variety of domains

Subtle words or expressions that connect bricks

implies contains reflects represents supportsconsequentlytherefore factorscontrastdiffer from analyze ramifications

ELA Social Studies Math Science Any discipline

General Academic language for knowing, thinking, reading and writing

Electives

Science Language

Math Language

Literature LanguageHistory/Social Studies

Language

Foundation of home and community language and cultural factors

If we simply pile bricks up to make a wall-overdo vocabulary quizzes and dictionary work-the wall will fall. The bricks need mortar to stick together

Jeff Zwiers Building Academic Language

Hard to learn incidentally (especially for poor/reluctant readers)

Found in content area texts and state tests

Crucial to full comprehension, yet no one takes responsibility for it

Teachers often overlook its importance

Opportunities to hear the words Opportunities to practice the words Opportunities to link the words to

different content areas Opportunities to formulate arguments Opportunities to sharpen arguments Preparation for writing

Integrate language teaching with content teaching

Recognize that explicit and implicit teaching both work, and can be used together

Honor disciplinary respectability Build coherence across content areas Amplify, don’t simplify Make it engaging

Why Word Generation?

Build the vocabulary of middle school students through repeated exposure to high frequency academic words in various contexts;

Promote regular use of effective instructional strategies among teachers;

Facilitate faculty collaboration on a school-wide effort.

What do you see? List 5 things that you notice in the

Word Generation Teacher Guide.

24 weeks – Passages written to engage adolescents in the “National Conversation” as well as in topics that are of great interest to this age group

Each are focused on a set of 5 target words selected from the Academic Word List (AWL)

The 5 target words include two topic related and three all-purpose words(mortar)

Passages are written at a 6th grade level

15 minutes a day/5 days a week Embeds activities for all content

areas

Should school be a place for debates? Should secret wiretapping be legal? Should the government regulate genetic

testing? Should it be mandatory to get a parent

license? Who is responsible for protecting teens from

online predators? Should you be able to rent a pet?

ELA Read the passage Introduce the words

Social Studies, Science, Math Content-area activities

ELA Writing with focus words

Each HISD Word Generation campus will:

› Create a campus WG Action Committee › Create a campus implementation plan› Conduct initial campus-wide WG training › Administer pre and post WG test › Sequence their WG work as follows: Launch—

cross discipline work—writing—Launch—cross discipline work—writing—Launch ….

Campus WG Coaches will:

› Provide PD for WG with a focus on accountable talk

› Provide ongoing, collaborative support for WG using student progress

› Provide weekly reminders and updates› Model effective WG practices in the

classroom

Generate questions

ELA Read the passage Introduce the words

Introduction to passage, containing

academic vocabulary, built around a question that can support discussion and debate

A list of five target words are defined in kid-friendly and dictionary language

A list of five comprehension questions, to guide the class in checking for understanding of the passage

http://www.wordgeneration.org/observe/ButtimerM1.html

http://www.wordgeneration.org/observe/ButtimerM2.html

Social Studies, Science, Math Content-area activities

http://www.wordgeneration.org/atbigpic.html

The positions in the WG book are based on the passage.

The class may want to include additional position statements.

The students will use Accountable Talk and the 5 target words to debate their positions.

http://www.wordgeneration.org/observe/McLean1a.html

http://www.wordgeneration.org/observe/hibbsW1.html

A word problem similar to TAKS math is provided using some of the target words.

Suggested ideas:› Work in pairs› Whole group discussion› Open-ended response (show/explain how

you got your answer)

http://www.wordgeneration.org/observe/henderson1.html

http://www.wordgeneration.org/observe/henderson3.html

Students engage with in a brief experiment designed to provide opportunities for student use of scientific reasoning and academic language in formulating conclusions from the data provided.

http://www.wordgeneration.org/observe/Hayes4.html

http://www.wordgeneration.org/observe/Hayes6.html

http://www.wordgeneration.org/observe/images/hayesworksamples/data6.jpg

ELA Writing with focus words

to production

no comprehension

to recognition

http://www.wordgeneration.org/observe/ButtimerF1.html

http://www.wordgeneration.org/observe/ButtimerF3.html

Struggling Adolescent Readers and Vocabulary Development across the Content Areas: “Word Generation” -Claire White, Harvard Graduate School of Education http://houstonwordgeneration.wikispaces.com/PowerPoint+Presentations

Promoting Academic Language Use by Teachers and Students- Catherine E. Snow, Harvard Graduate School of Education http://houstonwordgeneration.wikispaces.com/PowerPoint+Presentations

www.wordgeneration.org http://serpinstitute.org/index.php